The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 229

Yancey knew that while Wisteria acted impulsively, she was easily frightened. Even thunderstorms made her tremble. Her tough exterior was often at odds with her inner vulnerability. But he loved that about her; even her attempts at being brave were endearing.

Wisteria clung to Yancey’s hand until the plane stabilized. Only then did she realize what she was doing and quickly pulled away.

Yancey stared at his empty palm, a strange sense of loss settling in his chest.

...

Meanwhile, back on the southwestern border of Fresnia Country, it was early morning.

Ramona had spent a day and a night at the hospital, and her body was finally giving out. She hadn't brought a change of clothes and had caught a chill on the way. Just as the doctor finished examining Ethan, she felt so dizzy she could barely stand.

Shelby noticed immediately and rushed to support her. “Ramona, go back and get some rest. I’ll stay here.”

“I’m fine, Mom. I’ll just rest here for a bit…” Ramona insisted, trying to wave her off.

Florence, who had just arrived outside the room, overheard them and frowned.

“Ramona, if you get sick, you’ll just break my grandson’s heart all over again when he wakes up! Be good, go back, take some medicine, and get some sleep.”

Florence put her foot down, calling for someone to escort Ramona, leaving no room for argument.

Knowing she couldn't win, Ramona relented. Before leaving, she went to Ethan’s side and gently stroked his hair.

“I’ll be back to see you later,” she whispered into his ear, not noticing the faint flutter of his eyelids.

Back at the hotel suite, Ramona summoned her remaining strength to take a hot shower, hoping to wash away the fatigue and chill. But as she closed her eyes, the warm water on her face couldn't stop the wave of grief that rose from deep within her.

“Ethan…” she whispered his name, his face appearing in her mind’s eye. She pictured him at home, the small, everyday moments they had shared. She had been looking forward to so many more. How could he fall now?

Ramona didn't want to elaborate. She quickly reassured Nova and then asked about the company projects and the new drug launch.

Nova knew this was Ramona’s top priority and had been keeping a close watch. She gave a detailed report, and then added a bit of personal news.

She had had dinner with Holden again. He knew she was trying to get information from him, and with Ramona gone, Nova had felt lost and had turned to him. Whether intentionally or not, Holden had dropped a few hints. He had taken a call from Melinda in front of her, making it obvious that she was in contact with Fenton.

Nova couldn't tell if Holden was trying to stir up trouble, so she reported it to Ramona immediately. Holden couldn’t be trusted, but with Fenton now in charge of a critical project, Ramona would be vulnerable if he turned against her.

“Thank you, Nova. But don’t worry. What Holden said is probably true, but it looks like Fenton isn't going to move against me for now.”

Ramona was touched by her friend’s loyalty. While she was betting on Fenton’s integrity, she wasn’t unprepared. For the drug review, she had set the final approval to require signatures from all board members. The authority she had granted Fenton was only for her personal vote. Even if he signed off on a problematic report, the responsibility would be shared by the entire company.

Furthermore, to ensure the project’s success, she had secretly set up a temporary review feedback group that would report any issues in real-time. She had formed the group days ago, and not even Nova knew about it. According to their feedback, there was indeed an issue with the tax audit data.